https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhole
Okay, dholes are my favorite animal, so I’m a little biased, but I really think they would be a perfect addition to this game so here’s my pitch:
Dholes are a social canine species that live in the Himalayan/Southeast Asia region. They are a relatively unknown species, which is weird because they’re such gorgeous dogs! I believe there are only three zoos in North America that feature dholes (Minnesota, San Diego, and Toronto), and I know that the Minnesota Zoo in particular contributes a lot to the research and conservation of dholes.
They’re an endangered species, due largely to hunting and habitat loss. Like wolves, they had a bad rep for threatening livestock and were treated like vermin. The Jungle Book actually had a sequel called Red Dog, which portrayed dholes as evil, bloodthirsty creatures. Now, conservation efforts are super important for bringing numbers back for the species. It’s estimated that there are only 2,500 adults left in the wild.
Dholes look kind of like wolves, but they are their own family branch and are actually much closer to African wild dogs! Their behaviors are a bit different, too. They live in large clans that sometimes break off into smaller groups to hunt. They aren’t as territorial as wolves and clans can mix, as opposed to being tightly knit family groups. They eat fruit and vegetation more readily than other canids, particularly in captivity. One of my favorite things is that dholes don’t howl or bark, but they make a wide range of other noises like cooing, growling, clicking, and most notably, whistling!
But the behavior that I think is most perfect for the game is that dholes like to climb! There doesn’t seem to be any particular reason for it, but dholes have been observed hanging out in trees, apparently just for the fun of it. So they would make great use of climbing AI!
Another favorite trait... like some other weird dogs like AWDs and maned wolves, the middle toe pads on a dhole are fused at the bottom, making a kind of U shape, or with enough artistic license, a heart shape! Not that that would matter in the game, but... I think it’s cool.
That is my unnecessarily long rant about dholes and why they should be in the game! They’re just... so cool and gorgeous, my passion is real
tl;dr dholes are perfect for this game because they’re fairly unknown so education is needed, they’re endangered, they’re different enough from wolves to warrant another dog, and they’re a non-primate that likes to climb and that’s super fun for a game that touts expansive climbing structures.
Okay, dholes are my favorite animal, so I’m a little biased, but I really think they would be a perfect addition to this game so here’s my pitch:
Dholes are a social canine species that live in the Himalayan/Southeast Asia region. They are a relatively unknown species, which is weird because they’re such gorgeous dogs! I believe there are only three zoos in North America that feature dholes (Minnesota, San Diego, and Toronto), and I know that the Minnesota Zoo in particular contributes a lot to the research and conservation of dholes.
They’re an endangered species, due largely to hunting and habitat loss. Like wolves, they had a bad rep for threatening livestock and were treated like vermin. The Jungle Book actually had a sequel called Red Dog, which portrayed dholes as evil, bloodthirsty creatures. Now, conservation efforts are super important for bringing numbers back for the species. It’s estimated that there are only 2,500 adults left in the wild.
Dholes look kind of like wolves, but they are their own family branch and are actually much closer to African wild dogs! Their behaviors are a bit different, too. They live in large clans that sometimes break off into smaller groups to hunt. They aren’t as territorial as wolves and clans can mix, as opposed to being tightly knit family groups. They eat fruit and vegetation more readily than other canids, particularly in captivity. One of my favorite things is that dholes don’t howl or bark, but they make a wide range of other noises like cooing, growling, clicking, and most notably, whistling!
But the behavior that I think is most perfect for the game is that dholes like to climb! There doesn’t seem to be any particular reason for it, but dholes have been observed hanging out in trees, apparently just for the fun of it. So they would make great use of climbing AI!
Another favorite trait... like some other weird dogs like AWDs and maned wolves, the middle toe pads on a dhole are fused at the bottom, making a kind of U shape, or with enough artistic license, a heart shape! Not that that would matter in the game, but... I think it’s cool.
That is my unnecessarily long rant about dholes and why they should be in the game! They’re just... so cool and gorgeous, my passion is real
tl;dr dholes are perfect for this game because they’re fairly unknown so education is needed, they’re endangered, they’re different enough from wolves to warrant another dog, and they’re a non-primate that likes to climb and that’s super fun for a game that touts expansive climbing structures.
